


Real Life: v.2.05

by MintChocolateLeaves



Series: Mint's Long-Fics [6]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Gamer AU - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 04:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13473621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MintChocolateLeaves/pseuds/MintChocolateLeaves
Summary: Due to a love for games, Kaito isn't the best at socialising. And yet he still tries in the real world to win over Kudo Shinichi, one of his roommates. Meanwhile, Shinichi isn't much of a gamer, but he finds himself falling for legendary player, KID, online against his best interests. Gamer!AU.





	Real Life: v.2.05

**Author's Note:**

> If you're wondering why there's a little more KaiShin than other fics recently, you can blame the KaiShin discord server. Because they keep inspiring me to write things.

Kuroba Kaito is not expecting much in terms of a social life.

He’s got his expectations just a little below the average, isn’t going to try for any more that he can manage which is: _the bare minimum._ Which is fine, seeing as he lacks confidence in social situations that don’t include a keyboard and quick internet connection.

He’s a gamer, and maybe some people would consider him a N.E.E.T in training, because sometimes he holes himself in his room without leaving for days when there are new quests online to play, but it’s alright, since he’s having _fun._

Kaito is perfectly fine with living life the way he already is, with his parents support for gaming – they’re bigger fans than he is, it’s how they’d _met_ – when his mother turns around, puts her hands on her hips and hits him straight with a critical remark.

“I think you should go to university,” she says, in a tone that says he will be regardless of whether it’s thought or not. Kaito takes a moment to lift his headset off of his ears, ruffling his hair into an even more disorganised chaos. “So I’ve got you some information on entrance exams.”

His HP is drained at the concept of exams. Kaito can’t – he does not want to sign up for more classes when he could just as easily go straight into work alongside his parents at the theatre they own.

“Come on,” Chikage says, as she hands him a small vial of juice. She’s been pretending that apple juice is a strength potion for years, and they’ve never moved past that, “you’ll be able to help out the theatre more if you actually have more of a speciality.”

“Is hacking not a speciality?” Kaito says, drinking the ‘potion’, finding it to be ineffective and collapsing onto the floor in an attempt at being dramatic. “I’m very good with computers.”

His mother gives him a light tap against his leg. Kaito, in his attempt to secure even more sympathy, lets out a whine and pretends he’s been _booted._ It isn’t effective.

“You know computers extremely well,” Chikage says, “but only because we taught you. Now you need to go learn something that you can teach _us.”_

“That rules out all the fun things,” Kaito groans. Computing and theatre arts are off the list. As is costume design, seeing as his mother makes all the costumes for the shows that feature at their theatre. And his father’s job as a director takes acting off the list…

Maybe he’ll just take a range of classes and see where it takes him.

But still, the idea of all that extra effort, time he could be spending online, with his computer games, leaves him feeling completely… _exhausted._

* * *

He eventually decides on moving to a university on the other side of Tokyo.

The idea of commuting each morning sounds too much of a pain, so Kaito fills out forms to move into the local accommodation, makes sure he goes for a room that doesn’t seem like a prison cell.

Throughout all of this, his mother gives him this wild smile that is designed to make him feel terrible every time he doubts his decision to attend university. It’s an amazing strategy on her end, because Kaito knows he would have given up already if she weren’t wearing such an expression.

“Oh Kaito,” his mother says, when he explains he’s going to major in electronic engineering so he can help manage the electrics at the theatre, and a minor in arts, “I’m so proud of you.”

(An odd combination, he knows but Kaito can’t just do one thing without getting bored of it.)

“It’ll be good for you to offer more assistance at the theatre,” his father adds, although he’s not wearing quite the same guilt-inducing expression as his mother. “But even with your studies, don’t forget what’s most important.”

_Gaming._

Kaito struggles with a cough. And very weakly he says, “family right?”

“He was going to say gaming Toichi,” Chikage says, turning to his father, “did you see that – he totally paused.”

“As the ones who raised him,” Toichi responds, “of course his first response would be gaming. We’ve always used games as family time.”

Chikage gives a small smile. “It’s a lot better than a _certain family_ that uses cluedo and murder as a bonding exercise.”

Kaito gives his mother a small frown. _Who would use murder as a bonding exercise?_

“I know,” Chikage says, catching his expression, “weird right?”

* * *

Summer seems dull when Kaito eventually realises that, _‘oh shit, he’s going to have to go back to classes’._ He immerses himself in his gaming, logs more hours into his games than his parents do at work, and slowly convinces himself that university will not be a thing.

The week before he’s meant to move into his new university dorms, his parents drag him away from his computer to buy the necessary items for university life.

“I feel like this isn’t so much a hobby anymore,” Chikage mutters, as they drag Kaito from his room and into the car, “but more of an obsession.”

“It’s definitely an obsession,” Toichi says as he clips in his seatbelt, looking towards his wife at the wheel. She raises an eyebrow at him, as if to say ‘this is your fault’ before letting out a small laugh.

“Hey,” Kaito says, and then, a small pause: “wait… what day is it?”

* * *

He moves in on a Saturday.

Kaito’s parents close the theatre in order to drop him off, offering little help in the way of moving his possessions – except for help with his computer, which they all seem to accept is very important.

“Ahh,” Chikage says, a burst of motherly compassion filling her voice, “I’m so proud of you Kaito, you come back and visit all the time, you hear?”

By that, Kaito knows she means once a week max. Any more than that, and she’d give him an expression of ‘didn’t you move out?’

“Thanks,” Kaito mutters, despite not feeling even the slightest bit thankful. He doesn’t promise to come back, because he knows he’s probably not going to be back as much as his parents would want.

If anything, he’ll see them at the theatre more often than at home.

They lead him upstairs into his room, give him a small hug each, and offer a nod. Past him, in the room adjacent, Kaito can see parents helping their daughter unpack, helping her out.

His parents offer him a small salute, say, “we’ll leave you to it then Kaito, see you soon.”

They’ve not even been present for five minutes, and already they’re leaving him to his own devices. They make their way out of his room, let the door close behind them and head towards the exit.

Second pass, before Kaito realises that they haven’t bought everything he needs to live.

“Wait!” He says, opening his door and power walking down the hallway with as much ease as an antisocial game addict can manage (meaning: not much at all). “We didn’t buy any food!”

He reaches the exit of his new dorm, catches sight of his parents in the car, and tries to wave his urgency to them.

They either don’t understand, or are just being terribly malicious, because they simply drive off with a wave of their own.

Kaito forces himself not to drop to the ground in a state of misery. Instead, he throws his hands up to the sky, bites his lip as internally he curses himself.

“Guess I’ll die then.”

* * *

After unpacking he does go to the supermarket and buys the essentials. Toothpaste, toiletries and food: Most of which is rice and instant ramen. He throws in some bread and snack food, just for a little variation.

Then: He sets up his computer.

He’s halfway into logging in to his favourite MMO, when his phone goes off. It’s his father, which gives him a slight unease because Kuroba Toichi only ever phones about serious issues.

“Dad…?” Kaito says, when he answers the phone.

“Kaito, your mother and I completely forget to tell you something before we left.” His father’s voice crackles from the speakers, “it’s very important to both of us that we let you know now.”

Kaito pauses. Then, slightly confused: “…okay?”

“It’s about KID.” His father adds, which causes Kaito’s ears to perk up.

KID – his parents’ online avatar, a living legend in the gaming world. Constantly online since the games’ launch years ago, because between them, they’d been too stubborn to log off. Their stats… legendary.

Eight months ago, his parents had logged off, and they’d not been online since.

(Here, Kaito thought his parents were going to say something mushy like ‘we forgot to say we love you’ or ‘take care of yourself’. This is a million times better.)

“We want you to have KID’s log in details Kaito,” his father says, offering a pause to show how serious this is. For any other family, it probably wouldn’t be, but for theirs – it’s _massive._

“What..?”

“Yes,” Toichi continues, “we want you to be part of the legacy. We’ll go online when you can’t, to keep the constant online presence we previously had, but ultimately, we leave the reigns in your hands.”

Kaito does not know how much of a nerd it makes him, that he is overjoyed by these words.

“There are a few rules to being KID,” Toichi says, “but we’ll go into them in a little while. I’m going to tell you the password, are you ready to write it down?”

They say that, but both know that with Kaito’s memory, he won’t need to write it down.

“Wait–” Kaito says first, butting in. “I want to know something first. Why did you guys log off for so long? Did something happen?”

Toichi pauses, “we do not talk of the _event_ Kaito.”

“…Dad?”

There’s conversation from the other side of the phone, assumingly between both his parents, and then, his mother snatches the phone away.

“KID died during a quest,” Chikage says, almost regretful, “we don’t want to talk about it – the shame of being killed by a dragons flames made us log off for so long.”

Huh.

Kaito doesn’t really know how to respond to that.

“You logged off for eight months because… you died?”

His father again: “If people knew that we’d died and continued playing there would be no legendary status anymore. Tactically, logging off for a long time would make people question the absence instead of the dying.”

Kaito shakes his head, pulls a face. “Still… why would you do that?”

His parents do not offer a plausible explanation. They avoid the question by giving him the password instead.

* * *

He decides to do the dramatic thing, and give himself time to think about the whole KID situation.

Instead of logging straight into his KID account, he logs into his usual one. Headset plugged into his computer, monitor bright enough to see but not headache inducing, he types in his own password and logs into the same server he usually plays in.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he sings, into his headset as he spawns in his guild. He knows most of the players present, and afterwards, says hello to anyone who’s in the voice chat.

“Yo, Kai!” One of the players says, as Kaito pulls up the quest list. “You doin’ good?”

Kaito nods, realises that people can’t see him and says, “yeah, just tired.”

The player – checking now he can see the name is _DangoKing69_ – lets out a small laugh. He says, “do you ever sleep, I’m convinced that you don’t.”

He does, but usually it’s predated with at least 36 hours of binging games, undertaking newly updated quests and maxing out new skills. And the sleep usually… ends up taking up a long block of his following day.

“Listen,” Kaito says, laughter in his voice, “I sleep. It’s just a little different to how you normal people sleep.”

“You sure you’re not a NEET?” _DangoKing69_ teases.

“Nope,” Kaito responds, “sadly, I’m a university student. It’s much worse that being a NEET… I’ve got to pay to suffer, how masochistic is that?”

He receives a half-hearted response, just as a knock echoes across his door. He isn’t paying much attention at first, decides it’s probably not for him, until another knock echoes a few seconds afterwards.

Kaito offers a quick ‘I’ll be right back’, throws his headset onto his desk, and makes his way to the door. He opens it with more force than he probably should, winces as the handle bangs against the wall.

Outside, there is probably the most attractive man Kaito has ever seen. And Kaito has social media, meaning he really must be out of this world to gain such a title. There’s this quiet confidence to him that makes him seem more… elegant?

“Hi,” the man says, offers an awkward wave. “I’m Kudo Shinichi, I’m in Room 6.”

Room 6 is on the same floor as Kaito. Across the hall and to the right ever so slightly. There are four rooms on each of the three floors and Kaito is fortunate to be living on the same floor as _this guy?_

“Since all the roommates have shown up, we thought we’d have a gathering downstairs,” Shinichi pauses, smiles, “just to get to know one another, right? Can we expect you to come downstairs?”

Kaito doesn’t necessarily want to, because that’s effort but also–

He’s not too good at socialising, and if there’s any way Kaito’s going to make friends, it’s probably by doing this. He nods his head, “sure. Gimme a sec.”

Shinichi nods, “I’ll keep climbing stairs to get everyone downstairs then. See you in a while.”

As soon as Shinichi has left to climb more stairs, Kaito turns back into his room, closes his door and takes a breath for himself. He prepares himself with a few conversation starters in his head, realising they’re _terrible_ and tries to come up with a few more.

Then, he races back towards his computer, throws his headset on for a few seconds.

“I’ve gotta go,” Kaito says once he’s back on the computer, clicking onto the controls and towards the log off but. “Guys this is literally my only chance.”

His guildmates respond with questions of what is his only chance.

“It’s just my only chance-” Kaito says, logging out. He races towards his door, locks it behind him, and heads downstairs.

(He does not log into that account again – when he next logs in, it is as KID. He will not question the fact that this is the last thing his guildmates have heard him say.)


End file.
